A bride has described the shocking moment her sister-in-law threw black paint over her wedding dress in a revenge attack. Gemma Monk, 35, was preparing to marry Ken Monk at Oakwood House Register Office in Maidstone when Antonia Eastwood, 49, splattered her with paint in front of horrified guests.
Gemma, a mental health care worker, managed to scrub off the paint and borrow a dress from an usher to proceed with the ceremony. She said: 'We had waited for that day for so long. Nothing was going to stop me.' The attack occurred on May 24, 2024, and forced the venue to close for repairs costing over £5,000.
Eastwood, who is married to Gemma's older brother Ashley, fled the scene. She was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court for two counts of criminal damage after pleading guilty. The court heard the attack was revenge for an ongoing feud, which began after Eastwood accused Gemma of trying to trip her during her own wedding in September 2023.
Gemma, who has since been given the all-clear after a cancer scare, said the incident has left her depressed and unable to work. She told the court: 'This has turned the most special day of my life into the worst memory I will never forget.' The couple also cancelled their dream honeymoon to the Maldives.
